How does TV control our minds and our society?

I don't watch TV that much.


At least, I don't watch the "popular" stuff, like reality TV, MTV, and the news.


Reality TV, MTV, and the news are the TV shows accused of brainwashing our society.



I agree, but I don't understand exactly HOW they do it. Can someone explain the psychology and reverse psychology at work, as well as the "desired product" of a TV addict?





Yes, I like to watch the occasional movie or documentary, either one I downloaded or one I TiVOed. But I absolutely HATE MTV and reality TV; I find they bore the crap out of me. I have a fairly good idea how the news acts as a propaganda tool, but how do MTV and reality TV shape our minds and society?



And, finally, how can ANYONE stand wasting their precious time watching MTV and reality TV crap?

Here's my 2 cents...

I think most reality tv teaches bad morals. My little sister, who is 13, watches America's Next Top Model constantly. Now she wants to be exactly like the 'women' on there. She drives me nuts. Everything she, and her friends do has to impress the crowd. She doesn't do stuff for herself, she does it for others, and I think that is one reason. Monkey see, monkey do, more or less.

News=propaganda, yada yada...I think we all get that part.

I can't stand to watch most of that crap either.

[edit on 20/4/08 by wisefoolishness]

Here's a nice summary.

It has something to do with the ear and eye gate. thus

1. Flicker Rate (flashing lights)
2. Sound
3. Repetition of words and sounds
4. The tones or frequecy ranges of those sounds and visuals
5. The message
6. Working with what has already been programmed in you regarding morals, finances, belief systems and what reality or realities that have been given to you thus far.


Wait til we go digital...it will be fun

Query Stewart Swerdlow History of Mind Control part 1 and 2. It will lay i foundation with what we are dealing with

Every single thing you hear and see influences you to make a decision to act on. The desicion after seeing, say, American Idol doesnt have to be that you will sing in try outs. ETC. If you remove what you think is influencing you, then you are saying you are weak-minded and cant control your own decisions. I find that absurd and a falsehood. That's has giving your mind less credit on it's key capability (to make decisions). Even when someone puts a gun to your head and tells you to do something, your mind is making a decision. Either a stupid one or a wise one, but when you're the only judge it may be only seen as wise to you while to others it might seem stupid.

There is also some other stuff like If you've ever heard of SpongeBobSquarePants it is the funniest cartoon out there. The bad thing is that it like kills your brain cells. That's why I'm not allowed to watch it before tests.

Personally MTV and reality shows are stupidest things ever.

[edit on 23-4-2008 by Cookie Doodle]

It all in your head. I like watching movies and Sci-fi, history, discovery and only one reality show and I know it's entertainment. It's up to you to know the difference and to teach your children the difference. Now don't laugh at me but I love Gene Simmons family jewels and I don't know why except it's funny and entertaining. I watch 48 hours every now and then just to get a glimpse into the street life and what it takes to solve a homicide. I love gory, bloody movies that make you puke and I want more afterward, but it doesn't affect my real life at all. Maybe it's different for some people but I can watch anything on the tube and still function as if I never watched it at all. The internet will take over the tube someday I can see it happening, but what ever I watch on TV or the net will not effect my decisions in my life.

Okay, here's how it works - you can probably follow these steps and correlate them with past sub-cultures.

1: Society, out of tempetuosness, changes into something new, this could be anything from the rise of the 'punk' movement to the rise of the metalheads.

2: The Media (T.V, whatever) EMULATES the sub-culture, thereby causing those in society whom are interested in such materialistic pursuits as 'getting really piss#d', or hanging around in large groups, to see for themselves what is on offer where these 'sub-cultures' are concerned.

3: Those members of society who see the Media emulating the Society (sub-culture they are interested in) begin to Emulate what they see as society through the eyes of the media.

4: The Media emulates Society (sub-culture) slightly differently*, which could be compared to the rise of pop-punk, or Hip Hop, both of which are variations on an original theme.

*By providing free advertisements (or even paying the) [profanity] bands and groups that have a theme of 'innovation', or as i like to call it - deluded individualism, the 'I Want, Therefore it is mine' Mentality.

5: Those who have been emulating the sub-culture through the eyes of the media now follow the new 'proto-culture', which eventually swallows the original sub-culture into it's vast, inky black pit of moderate entertainment, thereby killing the sub-culture.

Importantly, killing sub-cultures isn't everything they can do, they can also take command of sub-cultures if they're precise about it.

At this point, i'll utter the words Manufactured sub-culture and move on.

Most shows aimed at teenagers are full of attempted brainwashing. I don't fall for it though. They constantly say stuff like " this band are so cool, everyone loves them, those guys are so fashionable,etc".

Most bands coming out today in the UK are bringing some crappy 80's sound. Razorlight ?? Get off the stage you skinny weird horse faced freak before I beat you to death with one of your own legs!!!!

And most ads for comedy movies have the following said of them "this years must see comedy!". Really ? I MUST see this film ? Will I piss myself laughing?

And those make up ads. One in particular comes to mind. The Telescopic Mascara. Salma Hayek I think is in the ad, says something like "make your lashes Astronomical". Get it ? Shes talking about a telescopic mascara then says astronomical!!! I know!! Its genius!!!

My buddy and I just finished a school project about this very question. He wrote a song and I directed this music video that features clips of Katie Couric, Rush Limbaugh, Tila Tequila, etc.

www.youtube.com...

Television... you can't live with it and you can't live without it. It's funny... people will comment on television shows when they see something they like or dislike or strongly object to or strongly are in favor of. Television shows don't exactly brainwash us. It's the user of the television who decides whether to be brainwashed by television. It's best that we don't think too much about this when we watch TV, but, it's good to know, that what happens in TV is in TV, and not the real world. Television is entertainment for a lot of people... I only watch TV ocassionally like if I want to watch a show I like or I may watch TV with friends... but... I usually read books.

The thing about TV is that it requires not hinking to watch it. So, like, that's why people become brainwashed by it, it's because the TV sends them so many thoughts and images so they have a hard time processing the information and understanding it, so, like, they want to do what the people on TV do. YOu know how you do what your friends do? Well, people who watch TV do will want to do what they see on TV because they think it's cool. For example, there are people that really are interested in hypnosis and magic tricks because they've seen so many shows about magic tricks and so many shows about hypnosis on TV. There are also people obsessed with ghosts because they used to watch shows about ghost as a child and then well they don't know better so they continue to obsess over ghosts. There are those that are obsessed with sci-fi even... and they don't like any other kind of show... and... there are people who watch so much TV that don't get outside because they feel they have nothing better to do.

It's really fascinating. What most people don't realize when they watch TV is that they are watching television, that, what happens on TV shows doesn't always happen in real life. It's when people don't realize that this is a TV show they're watching is when brainwashing happens. I really must say that it's a shame that people get brainwashed by TV, but, you know, it hapens.